Taste of Vail adds new Nordic Wine sampler event

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VAIL - Taste of Vail pairs two iconic activities for a new lifestyle event that will kick off the 23rd annual food and wine festival this spring - the Nordic Wine Sampler. This new event allows participants to cross country ski or snowshoe around the Nordic Center while stopping at various stations for wine and cheese. The Nordic Wine Sampler will open the four-day festival on April 3 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Vail Nordic Center located at the Vail Golf Course. Cost is $50 for equipment rentals and the tour or $40 if participants don't need equipment.

"It's kind of like the winter version of cycling through wine country," said Greg Moffet, Taste of Vail board member. "Taste of Vail celebrates the Vail lifestyle and we believe this new event is a reflection of that lifestyle and adds a fun, new element to the 2013 event."

Taste of Vail takes place April 3-6 and features more than 30 guest chefs, restaurateurs and sommeliers as well as more than 50 wineries. Iconic events return on April 4 with the 9th annual Colorado Lamb Cook-off and Apres Ski Tasting in the heart of Vail Village. Local chefs will showcase their finest lamb dishes to the public, while simultaneously competing for prizes in the cook-off. Guest vintners also will serve wine varietals.

The showcase event on April 5 is the Mountaintop Picnic on Vail Mountain. Located at 10,350 feet above sea level in a hand-built snow arena, the setting for the Picnic is unlike any other food and wine event. Chefs from Vail's top restaurants will serve up a gourmet picnic, while guest wineries serve selections of their finest wines. Ticket holders can ski to the event or take the Eagle Bahn Gondola out of Lionshead to access the signature on-mountain picnic.

Taste of Vail wraps up on April 6 with the Grand Tasting. The Grand Tasting is the culmination of the three-day event with chefs showcasing their most creative fare alongside wine partners who feature their best product.

Taste of Vail's popular food and wine seminars also return for the 23rd annual event, past favorites include "Riedel's Vinum Glass Tasting," "The Renaissance of Spanish Wine," "Speed Dating" with wine and much more. If the seminars and events don't fill the appetite, numerous restaurants throughout Vail will host winemaker dinners to pair signature dishes and specialty wines. A list of seminars for 2013 will be released later this week.

For more information or to purchase tickets for the 23rd Annual Taste of Vail, visit www.tasteofvail.com or call 970-401-3320.